Bowling-alley ball return



hig i9 1926.

r 1 1,570,549 J. w. BISHOP BOWLING ALLEY BALL RETURN Original Filed Jan.9, 1924 Patented Jan. 19, 1926.

UNITED'STATES 1,570,549 PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH W. BISHOP, OF MUSKEGON, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO THE BRUNSWICK-BALKE-COLLENDER COMPANY, OF WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, A CORPORATION OFDELAWARE.

BOWLING-ALLEY BALL RETURN.

Application filed January 9, 1924, Serial No. 685,112. Renewed September14, 1925.

To aZZ whom it concern. I

Be it known that I, JOSEPH-IV. BIsHor, a citizen of the United States,residing at Muskegon. in the county of Muskegon and State of Michigan,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bowling- Alley BallReturns, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates generally to bowling alleys and more particularlyto the ball return.

In commercial practice it has been customary heretofore to provide astraight return for the ball extending from the alley pit to a curvedend at or about the back of the approach to the alley whereby the ballis caused to travel upward to and forward on a receiving track elevatedabovethe return track. As the ball travels up the curve from the returntrack to the receiving track it is retarded so that it will come to restupon the receiving track which provides storage space for a number ofballs.

Many players desire to play exclusively,

with a single ball, which may be owned by the player or may be a ballbelonging to the alley, which the player prefers to the other balls, andtherefore it is highly de= sirable to return this ballto the player asquickly as possible, so that he may, whenever usually remains at orabout the foul line necessary, throw his second ball with as litwatchingthe ball travel down the alleyto the pins, and it is desirable toreturnthe ball direct to him while in this posltlon without requiring him tolook back for the ball to approach him from the rear of the alley. Theplayers attention 1s prlmarily directed to the pins, and it may happen,while he is looking forward and at the same time picking up a ball fromthe track, another ball will travel up the curve to the receiving trackand hit the ball the player is picking up, or the line of balls, andinjure the players fingers. The finger holes in theballs are not alwaysdifposed in proper position for the player to engage them. and quitefrequently it becomes necessary to turn the ball around until the fingerholes are accessible; if another ball travels up the curve and hits theplayers ball, or the line of balls, while the player is turning hisball, there is always the chance that the playersfingers will beinjured. It is my opinion that these chances of injury to the playerwill be eliminated and the operation of delivering the ball to theplayer simplified if the usual overhead return travel of the ball isavoided, so that it will not be necessary for the player to direct hisattention rearward in the act of picking up a ball. To this end myinvention has for its object to provide means for delivering the ballwhile in a forward direction from the return track, located at or aboutthe level of the alley bed, to the receiving or storage track elevatedsomewhat above the alley bed in convenient po-sition'for the players,and to retard the upward movement of the ball so that it will bedelivered upon the receiving track-at a rate of speed only sufficientfor such delivery. a

I am aware that it has been proposed heretoforeto eliminate the returntravel of the ball and permit it to travel in a straight line and up anincline to the receiving track, but the ball often travels down thereturn track at a comparatively high rate of speed which must be checkedand retarded to insure delivery upon the receiving track in a desirablemanner without liability of injur'- ing the player and withoutdislodging the balls already on the receiving track; but so far as Iknow these devices have not proven commercially satisfactory becausethey lack efiicient means for properly delivering the ball to thereceiving track.

My invention, therefore, has for its object also to provide a bowlingalley ball return with means whereby the ball is delivered, whiletraveling forward, upon an elevated receiving track at a properreduction in speed to insure safe delivery.

With these and other ends in view the invention comprises certainstructural elements which are illustrated in What I now consider apreferred form in the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a sideelevation of so much of a bowling alley ball return as is necessary forillustrating my invention.

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

' Referring to the drawings, 5 is a ball rely perpendicular direction,and then it is caused to change again to a horizontal direction as it iscarried over the point 9. This last change of direction of travel of theball is effected by guides lat mounted in the frame 12:'1n an are spacedfrom the point 9. i The ball travels up the curve at a comparativelyhighrate of speed and it is checkedand retarded by engagement with atensioned buffer strap 10 While it is guided to change its direction oftravel to a horizontal direction, and thus the ball is delivered veryslowly and quietly on to the receiving track 7. The frame 12 constitutesa support for the curved end 6 of the return track 5, for the guides 1aand forthebuifer strap-10, and it may be located in any convenientposition at the approach to the-alley according to the standardrules,or, if desired, according to any special requirements.

' ldy invention provides a simple means for returning the ball to theplayer with a forward-travel only and delivering it to the player slowlyso that the player may receive the ball as it is delivered upon thereceivingtrack and without damage or injury. The delivery of a ball tothe player while traveling in a forward direction from the pit isdesirable because it does not require a player to divert his attentionfrom the pit end of the alley to which it is mostly directed, and alsobecause it enables the player to receive the ball as it approaches himwhile standing naturally adjacent the receiving track and withoutrequiring him to twist around and strain to an unnatural position, or toturn his back to the pit end of the alley. The invention also insuresdelivery of the ball at a rate of speed which can be regulated bytensioning the buffer strap and which is preferablyv reduced to a degreeat which theball will be delivered to the player slowly withoutendangering his lingers, or will be aligned with other balls on thereceiving track without crashing against them.

My invention is simple in construction and can be easily applied to oldalleys as well as new'alleys. I realize that changes in the details ofconstruction may be required to adapt the invention for differentconditions, and I consider myself entitled to make all such changes asfairly fall within the seepeof the following claims.

I claim:

1. A bowling alley ball return comprising a return track, an elevatedreceiving track in alignment with the return track, a curved trackintermediate of the return track and the receiving track and connectingthe adjacent ends thereof, and curved guide tracks disposed opposite tothe juncture of the curved track with the receiving track.

2. A- bowling alley ball return comprising a return track, an elevatedreceiving track in alignment with the return trarh, a curved trackintermediate of the return track and the receiving track and connectingthe adjacent ends thereof, means adjacent said curved track for changingthe direction of travel of the ball when it reaches the top of thecurved track and comprising guides, and aretarding buffer disposedopposite the juncture of the curved track with the receiving track.

3. A bowling alley ball return comprising a-return track, an elevatedreceiving track in alignment with the return track, a curved trackintermediate of the return track and the receiving track and connectingthe adjacent ends thereof, a frame. adjacent the curved track, andcurved guidessupported by the frame above the curved track.

4. A bowling alley ball return comprising a return track, an elevatedreceiving track in'alignment with the return track, a curved trackintermediate of the return track and the receiving trackand connectingthe adjacent ends thereof, aframe adjacentthe curved track, guidessupported by the frame above the curved track, and a retarding buffercarried by the-frame and located-op posite the juncture of the curvedtrack with the receiving track.

5. A bowling alley ball return comprising JOSEPH W; BISHOP.

